


Defeated Rivals

by clarka



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarka/pseuds/clarka
Summary: Damian did as Mother had instructed, he had eliminated his rival so why was Father acting so weirdly?
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	Defeated Rivals

“He quit, father. There’s a new robin now.” Damian stated proudly. Father didn’t look at pleased as he thought he would. He had just promised to stand against his mother for him and his crusade, Father should be happy, welcoming him. He just looked angrier. “Where’s Robin?” He repeated, louder than before.

If Damian didn’t know better, he would have thought that his father was mad at him but that would make no sense. He had just helped gain a higher skilled son and a blood one at that. ‘ _Maybe this was a test_?’ He thought, ‘ _Like the challenge to fight the Spook, yes that must be it. Just play along, it’s probably to test his loyalty. Father’s a smart man and up until a few moments ago Damian seemed allied to the League, blood or not, he’d be a fool to trust such as obvious improvement. It could seem like a trick, too good to be true.’_

Damian smiled “If it’s that important to you, he’s in the cave. You’ll be sure to see my handywork.” He expected an acknowledgment and for them to go fight crime together and then he can talk about the details of how he took down the Spook on his own and then Father would be more impressed. He didn’t expect Father to rush off, without him, in the direction of the cave. ‘ _He’s just confirming my victory_.’ Damian thought trying to reason with the Bat’s strange behaviour. He then started to follow him back to the cave as fast as he could, ‘ _Just another test_.’

* * *

He had arrived at the cave mere seconds after his father, ‘ _Surely not enough to deem a failure’_. “ROBIN!!!” Father shouted running towards where the body laid in the broken glass of the display cases. “Hang on.” He said much softer he put his hands on his shoulders, shaking the old Robin a little. He didn’t move. ‘ _Good_.’ Damian thought, he hadn’t stayed around after he had defeated him and trusted he would have died with the injuries he had given him. He was right.

Father still seemed to not trust him, trying to resuscitate the obviously dead boy. It was started to get a little insulting like he thought Damian wasn’t able to kill Robin. “You did this.” Father said sounding weirdly accusingly like he done something to be punished for. ‘ _Part of a test. He couldn’t have messed up already, Father was testing him’_.

“He was my rival. He’s not your real son, I am. It’s my right to replace him. That’s how it works in the League of Assassin’s. I fought him and I won, you now have a better Robin. You’re welcome.” He replied, standing his ground. ‘ _Father probably wants to make sure I’m not weak and won’t buckle under pressure. Once he realises I’m strong he’ll stop his façade and welcome me. Or maybe he saw footage of the fight, saw how Robin had helped me when I nearly fell of that dumb dinosaur, maybe he's mad that I'm claiming his death when I needed his help to do it. But he didn't have time to do that right? Yes he can't know, I'll just have to delete the footage later, if he's anything like Mother, Father will consider it cheating and be furious.'_

“I’m _welcome_?” Father snarled, still cradling the ex-Robin’s body. 

“Yes.” Damian said. Father still glared at him in venom, he was beginning to realise why criminal scum feared the Bat so much, being under his scrutiny would have been terrifying had he not been a trained warrior since birth.

“You killed him. _You killed my son_.” Father growled, that when Damian noticed a tear falling from behind his cowl. The sadness he had shown for the boy before could have been faked but a tear? Crying was a weakness; Damian had been taught that no matter it helped a cover story never to cry. ‘ _Maybe it’s different here, maybe crying is acceptable for a role, maybe the rules are different.’ He thought. ‘ **Maybe the rules are different**.’ _

Damian looked his at father and for the first time since coming to Gotham felt scared, for he had failed.

* * *

The fight didn’t last long, Damian was filled with a feeling of failure he had never felt before and Father fuelled by his righteous anger. Damian couldn’t say how long he had been out when he had woken, handcuffed to some railing. Considering he still had his weapons it can’t have been long. Father was probably off looking for his butler, Alfred, who he had trapped. He seemed to care for the old man too, if his affection for the boy were true it seems likely his ones for the servant. Damian really didn’t understand him.

He looked towards the display cases. A pool of blood resided there but no body. He absentmindedly thought about what happened to the corpse as he undid his restraints. If Mother were here, she’d probably reprimand him for taking so long, the handcuffs his father had used were more advanced than ones he had escaped from before despite their novelty look from the bat theme.

Damian still didn’t understand the whole bat thing, sure it was intimidating but he was sure his father could pull it off without it. With the ridiculous costumes and strange code names, it seemed a lot like a play or some children’s game. Damian had tried to be like that for him, a mask, the bright Robin tunic, the cape! He never even asked for any of their real names, Mother had only ever referred to father as Batman and if Damian hadn’t seen him at that gala that Mother crashed, he would have thought he was always Batman. Maybe even their servant had been given a fake name, sure 'Alfred' doesn’t make sense but neither did Robin, it wasn’t intimidating at all!

Thoughts of doubt and confusion which he’d never felt before distracted him from the approaching footsteps. “I wouldn’t do that, young Damian.” It was the butler, he held a shotgun, but his eyes were sad and watery, _pathetic_. “And why not!” he snarled back, he didn’t need the old man’s advice and he didn’t like how close it sounded to an order. “Because I have very little patience right now and would prefer not to hurt a child.” Alfred replied.

“A child! I am not-“Damian retorted, but as he was doing so the butler started to pull out a gas mask, “What are you doing?” He ordered. There was no response from the old man as he continued to put on the mask and reached into his pockets for a small sphere. “I demand you stop!” He didn’t. Damian held his breath

Gas began to surround him, he continued to try get out of the handcuffs, Damian had about three minutes considering his exertion whilst struggling until he won’t be able to hold his breath any longer. He was trained to do this he’ll be alright. The gas got thicker, he could no longer see the outline of Alfred. He continued to struggle but the handcuffs were not giving in. Damian didn’t know how long he had left.

He drew in breath, he had failed.

* * *

Damian woke up on a bed. The sheets were rough, and it was only a single, odd. He then began to remember what transpired to land him here. Damian took in his surroundings, he was a small windowless and doorless room, with light panels built into the ceilings. Other than the bed there was a toilet and a sink. The whole room smelled strongly of disinfectant but at least it was clean, the pure white colours almost blinding Damian.

It didn’t look like any cells he’d seen before, too light and neutral to be like the League’s and too clean to be Bell Reve or Blackgate (though his knowledge of them came purely from pictures). ‘ _This must be one of Batman’s private holding cells_.’ He thought, ‘ _If it was maybe father did want him around, maybe there’s hope after all.’_

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I love both Tim and Damian and I want them to be happy despite this whole thing. But i was just thinking a lot about Tim and Damian dynamic how It had evolved since their first meetings but then angst brain said 'what if it never got to evolve because Tim died' and then I started thinking about how that would destroy every other relationship he has with the batfamily since I don't think anyone would just be able to get over how he killed Tim and it would also destroy his chance to development as a person (never becoming robin, etc). So yeah...


End file.
